People Tree celebrates 5 th anniversary

With an ever-growing demand for organic and sustainable fashion, People Tree, which celebrates its 5 th anniversary this year, comes out as the leading pioneering Fair Trade and ecological fashion company. No longer does the company produce the eco-warrior-like clothing it did in its early days; unappealing colours and stiff fabrics that we once associated with organic clothes. Instead you'll find beautiful clothes and accessories for men, women and children. People Tree have realised fashion is high on the list for consumers, and brands such as Edun and Katharine E Hamnett have followed in its footsteps, launching eco collections and branching out in ready-to-wear and the mass denim markets. Thankfully People Tree have remained true to their ethos and the company is as dedicated and determined as it ever was.

People Tree works with 70 Fair Trade groups in 20 developing countries, helping the world's most underprivileged use Fair Trade to escape poverty. They pay their producer partners a fair price, advance payment, provide technical and design assistance and commit to regular, ongoing orders. People Tree also funds social welfare and environmental projects around the world such as schools, hospitals and tree-planting schemes. The company states that over 50% of the collection is made from organic and Fairtrade certified cotton

As part of its anniversary celebrations, last week Knitters for Fair Trade fashion label People Tree travelled from Nepal to see their products on sale in stores around London, including Topshop's flagship store in Oxford Circus. The majority of the knitwear in People Tree's Autumn Winter collections is created at Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS) in Nepal, where 450 women knitters benefit from the company's Fair Trade orders. Exclusive ranges are available at Topshop in 100 Oxfam stores around the UK.

The company states that thousands of tailors, knitters, weavers and artisans from poor communities around the world are enjoying many happy returns on their labour. With the Christmas season donning upon us, People Tree seems a logical answer for gifting your loved ones. Their Autumn fashion collection features hand-woven silk cotton dresses, slim-fit sports jackets, beautiful loungewear and accessories. For more information go to www.peopletree.co.uk or call 0845 4504595.

www.peopletree.com
1 November 2006

J Lindeberg to launch diffusion range

Diffusion ranges are the new designer brands, it seem. Next to join the likes of D&G, Missoni Sport and Marc by Marc Jacobs is J Lindeberg. The company is set to launch the collection for autumn 07 and has appointed a new UK head of sales. The range will be priced 30 per cent lower than the mainline and will mainly be denim and casualwear. The company is planning on delivering four collections per year with the first due in store from October.

J Lindeberg has appointed Michael Benjamin as head of UK sales. He will join from Sand where he was country manager, and will oversee sales across its mainline, diffusion and JL lines. Benjamin will report to commercial director Ginni Georgiades, who joined the company in March.

Georgiades said: “We really want to push the brand in the UK and the diffusion line will sit around the same level as D&G and Diesel. We're aiming to grow to between 50 and 70 stockists over the next three to four years. We are also looking for a location for a London flagship store to open in spring 2008. J Lindeberg has about 20 UK stockists for its mainline, which is sold in Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Selfridges as well as in upmarket independents.

www.jlindeberg.com
29 September 2006

Courrèges in possible sale

Iconic Sixties fashion brand Courrèges is considering a possible sale. The company's owners, founder André Courrèges and his wife Coqueline, have been approached by an unidentified party with an offer. The couple are said to be exploring market interest, WWD reports, adding that the brand's fame could attract bids of more than €100 million. A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment on the news.

The company operates through a large licensed business in Japan and a flagship store in Paris , which sells its fragrances exclusively. The company's retail sales in Japan have been estimated at €400 million. The brand is said to enjoy enormous popularity in that market and is contemplating expanding into other Asian markets, especially China and South Korea . It no longer distributes its fashion and accessories to US retailers Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Jeffrey, severing ties abruptly in 2002 despite enjoying good business there.

According to WWD, luxury conglomerates have long had their eye on the fashion house, which is run by Coqueline and was founded by her husband in 1961. The late Nineties saw groups like LVMH showing interest in a possible acquisition, although the asking price and terms of sale are said to have been decidedly unattractive.

www.courreges.com
15 September 2006

Biba is back

At the end of this month a new Biba range will hit the stores. The brand, which was a hit in the 60’s, has been re-born, albeit with a more luxurious edge, according to Sunday Times Style.

The new Biba range sees Bella Freud as its creative director, who once showed her collection during London Fashion Week. The iconic brand that defined all that was swinging London has been fine-tuned using more luxurious fabrics instead of its pioneering approach to fashion, which was disposable fashion as we know it today. This season, Biba has been reborn showing on the catwalk at London Fashion Week in September.

The original Biba was favoured by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Twiggy and Biangca Jagger. Bella Freud has stated she wanted to “re-create what people loved about it, but also make it contemporary.” Hence Biba’s signature are left intact: the dusky palette, strong art deco and Victoriana influences and long, sinuous silhouettes characterized by narrow arms and well-defined shoulders.

www.bibaexperience.com

17 August 2006

House of Rochas to close

The House of Rochas is to close its doors. Owner Procter & Gamble has presented a shutdown plan to some 30 workers. The fall-winter 2006-7 collection will continue to be shipped and the fragrances will continue to be produced by P&G under the Rochas brand. Fashion, however, is off the cards, despite the successes enjoyed by designer Olivier Theyskens. According to WWD, retailers have not been formally told of the closure and no official announcement is planned. The laying-off of workers in France may take months.

Rochas came under ownership of P&G in 2003 when the company acquired Wella's $6.9 billion portfolio, which included brand fragrances like Anna Sui, Escada and Gucci. Rochas was the only fashion company in that stable of brands. At the time, P&G tried to license the business, but third parties were only interested in the acquisition of both the fashion and fragrance brands together. Meanwhile, the closure of the fashion business signifies an end to three years of critically acclaimed collections by Theyskens. Earlier this year, the designer was honoured by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with an International Award. Rochas' ready-to-wear business is believed to have gained 30 percent last year. Its pre-spring 2007 collection was met with positive reactions, but the high prices are said to have affected earnings. Critical acclaim is not a sort of guarantee for financial success. According to WWD, the business is believed to be loss-making. The fragrance business, however, is said to be “very healthy”, especially in France and Spain .

Theyskens has not commented on the development yet, but sources have speculated that he will be looking to fund the reestablishment of his signature label which he put on the back burner to work for Rochas. The designer often spoke of his own label as a separate entity which still occupied his mind. He said that some of his design ideas for that line were unsuitable for Rochas, where he developed a very elegant aesthetic. Meanwhile, P&G has continued to expand its stable of beauty brands. Last year, it finalized the integration of Wella's fragrance division called Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, into P&G Prestige Beauty. The company now boasts brands like Lacoste, Valentino, Max Mara and Jean Patou. The generated a combined turnover of almost $2 billion.

www.rochas.com
19 July 2006

Joules recruits Natalie Fones

Country wear brand Joules has appointed Natalie Fones to design for the label. Fones, 26, previously worked as assistant knitwear designer at Burberry and is expected to lend Joules a bit of glamour. The Central St Martin's graduate is looking forward to her job with Joules. “It's good to know that I am working for another truly British brand which is not scared to shy away from its heritage and takes great pride in the final product,” she told Vogue. “It really is an exciting time to begin a career with such an established company.”

For spring, Joules has included camisoles, kaftan tops and A-line skirts in pastel colours and candy-stripes, recalling the glamour of Hollywood in the Fifties. Joules was established by managing director Tom Joule, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Leicester Business Awards last week. He took over the business from his father in 1994 and has turned it into a 600 outlet-strong company throughout the UK. His philosophy is: “We take the conventional and do something a bit more exciting with it. We are a unique business with unique ideals and most definitely are not following the crowd.”

Since 2001 annual turnover has increased almost tenfold from £1.5 million to £11 million and continues to rise.

www.joulesclothing.com
27 April 2006

Margin London

London Margin, the upscale streetwear exhibition, is continuing its quest to help young, urban brands reach a wider audience amongst key retailers and press. For many, Margin London was created out of necessity. Retailers travel the world looking for cult labels and the next big thing but rarely find at mainstream shows where costs prohibit fresh talent from taking part.

The main drive of Margin London was to establish a show where new young labels could find an affordable platform. The exhibition has certainly succeeded and has delighted buyers and press alike with its mix of left-field brands and commercial successes waiting to happen. The next edition of Margin London will be on the 12th & 13th February 2006. For more information go to www.marginlondon.co.uk .

7 February 2006

House of Dereon adds accessories

Superdiva Beyonce and her mother Tina Knowles are continuing the expansion of their empire with a new addition to their fashion brand, House of Dereon. The two have signed a licensing agreement with the New York-based Accessory Exchange to add handbags and small leather goods to its existing collection. In a statement Beyonce, co-creative director of the brand, said that she sees the handbag license as the next step in realising her derams. “In the same way that lighting and sets and sound design are necessary for an engaging concert performance, handbags harmonize with shoes and other accessories to create an unforgettable look,” she said.

In an email to WWD, Tina Knowles wrote: “(The handbags) will completely complement the (apparel) line, with like prints, patterns and materials. They will also work independently and feature hot, must-have designs.” Tina Knowles is the brands founder and creative director, and a permanent fashion fixture in her daughter's life, having designed all her costumes for performances. The handbags have been categorized into a dozen different groups, from casual to more contemporary designs, and will be sold alongside the brand's footwear range in higher-end specialty store in the US . Prices will vary between $90 and $300.

House of Dereon chose to collaborate with Accessory Exchange because of its talent. “The sensibility and passion were there,” said Knowles. “It was an instant partnership from the first time the creative team met.” Accessory Exchange also has handbag licenses for brands including XOXO, Via Spica and Bongo. It generates about $125 million in sales in the US . The House of Dereon announced that it would be showing its new collection at New York Fashion Week in February 2006.

www.houseofdereon.com
8 August 2005

America 's top ranking brands

According to the WWD's survey of this year's most successful designer label rankings, Calvin Klein is at the top of the American game. The Phillips-Van Heusen owned company earned top marks for its three tiers – the designer Calvin Klein Col lection, the CK bridge label and the core Calvin Klein better-priced label, making it the most successful design-led company of 2005.

In second place comes Tommy Hilfiger, who, despite a disasterous launch of its H brand in Federated Department stores, still managed to secure a top ten place. Perhaps the help of Beyonce et al for his successful perfume True Star and the recent acquisition of Karl Lagerfeld has kept Hilfiger a force to be reckoned with. Ralph Lauren is the third top ranking fashion company in America , followed by Gucci and Christian Dior, the only European brands in the top five.

2 August 2005

Marchpoles announces debut Ungaro menswear

British brand management company Marchpole Holdings plc has announced the debut of Emanuel Ungaro menswear with its launch in three Ungaro flagship stores. The first two, in London's New Bond Street and the Avenue Montaigne in Paris, will launch in time for the Winter 2005 season. The first collection will be available from August. The third store, on New York's Madison Avenue, will offer the menswear collections from Spring Summer 2006. The menswear collection is designed by Creative Director José Levy and is licensed by Marchpole.

www.marchpole.co.uk
21 July 2005

World of Jlo

JLo by Jennifer Lopez is to take the world by storm by it's first shop-in-shop in Marshall Fields in America. It will be the world of Jlo to include sportswear, jewellery, handbags, fragrances, lingerie and sunglasses. Lopez herself is set to christen the boutique during a public appearance and fashion show highlighting both JLo and Sweetface, her higher-priced line. The event on Sept. 22 is to benefit Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital.

"JLo was a great way to start, to get ourselves in there with a younger customer," Lopez said in January. "We've been successful. We have all our licenses in place. Now we're ready to move on to that next level. It's just about making a smaller line, with better quality and better fabrics."

20 July 2005

Hardy Amies In Retail Makeover

Upmarket fashion brand Hardy Amies is to refurbish its flagship store as part of a retail makeover. AIM-quoted Hardy Amies has reported a 13 per cent reduction in operating losses to £496,000 in the year to the end of December.

Chief executive Tim Martin said: "We are very pleased with the progress we have made during the year, and are now in a position where the investment in retail and new licensing agreements will secure the future growth of Hardy Amies." With a strategy to limit costs and focus on top line growth, Martin said that management accounts for the half year to the end June 2005 show total retail sales up 32 per cent.

He said: "This is encouraging as licensing sales follow successful retail sales and the rebuilding of the brand. This is the first significant increase in across-the-board retail sales at Hardy Amies since 1997 and I anticipate that our retail sales growth will continue to be strong.

"To support the retail sales early in the second half of this year we will be refurbishing both the menswear and womenswear boutiques within 14 Savile Row and introducing a new menswear bespoke service." BMB, one of the largest owners of concession space in UK department stores, has become the brand's new menswear licensee, and plans to retail and wholesale Hardy Amies ready-to-wear menswear from next summer. In addition, a new Hardy Amies fragrance for women will be available in fragrance and cosmetics retailer Space NK's stores from September.

29 June 2005

Base London To License Clothing

Brand Alliance has won the license to produce a clothing range for footwear brand Base London, starting with a short-order collection for spring 05, according to last week's Drapers. The licensing company, which also owns the Outrange and Miss Outrage brands, will design, manufacture and distribute the collection worldwide. It will begin on a short-order basis but may move to forward order.

Previously, Base London produced its clothing range in-house and, although there was no wholesale collection for autumn 05, a range was produced for its London Carnaby Street store. The short-order collection will be delivered in March and features T-shirts, poloshirts, jerseywear and both long and short-sleeved shirts. Wholesale prices are between £8 and £16 and retail between £20 and £45.

Brand Alliance design director Simon Belcher said: "Our intention is to mirror the ethos of the footwear brand and target the same customer wanting the British lads look. We will broaden the range to include jeans, knitwear and tailoring." Base London footwear has around 700 accounts in the UK. Belcher expects the range to be picked up by around 80% of its footwear account base.

www.drapersonline
31 January 2005

Fat Face consider sale options

Fat Face founders Tim Slade and Jules Leaver, who started the clothing brand out of their rucksacks in 1988, have appointed investment bank Rothschild and broker AMB Amro to consider sale options that could value the 80-store business at more than £50m.

7 December 2004

Basso & Brooke score

The UK fashion brand Basso and Brooke are on their way to the big time. The brand, which won its first competition during London Fashion Week this past September, has now landed a contract with AEFFE in Milan. AEFFE is the luxury goods company that produces and distributes lines for big fashion names like Alberta Ferretti, Moschino, Narciso Rodriguez, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Pollini. Now both Basso and Brooke, and runners-up in the competition Sinhastanic, have both signed with AEFFE for at least two seasons.

Chairman of AEFFE, Massimo Ferretti, told reporters that it is in the best interest of the industry to promote new talent and introduce fresh and exciting impulses into the market. Basso and Brooke, which consists of 30-year-old designer Christopher Brooke and graphic designer Bruno Basso only met one year ago. And now they are well on their way to conquering the world of fashion. Ferretti admitted he found their enthusiasm contagious and wants to build this brand from scratch. Although the initial contract is only for one year Brooke is not worried. "It isn't worth Massimo's while to get into this just for a couple of seasons," Brooke told reporters.

Brooke describes the label as rather overpowering, resembling the Versace brand of fashion. Showing commercial prowess Brooke has already enlisted fellow AEFFE label Pollini to design the shoes for the autumn/winter 2005 collection, which will be shown in London in February. The shoes that Brooke and Basso had designed for the London Fashion Week competition simply weren't suitable for selling, although Brooke revealed that there has been a great deal of interest in them.

According to Fashion Fringe rules, Basso and Brooke are obligated to continue showing at London Fashion Week for five years. This does not appear to be a problem for the duo. Brooke admits to being very happy in London, and if the project manages to elevate London to the standard of the best place to witness emerging design talent, then he does not see the point in leaving all that behind.

23 November 2004

Chavs Like Their British Brands

The chavs might be taking Britain's youth by storm, but they would just be non-existent if not for the companies that are promoting them. According to The Sun, the company which has benefited most from the chavs is Burberry, whose famous checked baseball caps are now an essential item in any chav wardrobe.

The second place goes to store giant Gus, the owner of catalogue shopping chain Argos, famous for the chunky gold bling-bling sported by chavs. Other companies that are doing well thanks to chavs are: Aquascutum, Warner Music and JJB Sports.

3 November 2004

Home In Helsinki

Thoughts about Helsinki may conjure associations of Santa Clause and wooden furniture, but there has been some major fashion talent brewing in the mist of Scandinavian nostalgia in a city that has retained its small-town feel. So, too, its fashion brings a sense home and the familiar.

While there may be no high-rise buildings in Helsinki, rising high is Nanso, a Finnish brand founded in 1921. Originally a dyeing company, they moved on to manufacture underwear, knitwear, and today produce some of the most glorious prints and designs for men and women to come from Scandinavia.

Ultra luxury-feeling nightwear, comfortable casuals and daywear are made with the most vibrant and fresh prints. Their take on luxury is wearing clothes suitable for a variety of different life situations, from relaxing at home to travelling abroad.

Inspiration for next season is the tennis culture of the 80s. The fresh outdoor life and feelings of drowsy afternoons are found in the beautiful prints and cottons in black with red and white, lime green with raspberry red and white.

Soon to be added to your staple wardrobe as a favourite garment.

For more information please visit www.nanso.com or contact 020 7749 4890
22 July 2004

Hats Off

Kangol, the headgear brand favoured by Madonna and Samual L Jackson is for sale for an estimated GBP30m. The British brand, owned by Kleinwort Capital and founded in 1938 by Polish-French immigrant Jacques Henry Sergene, is likely to draw interest from the likes of Nike and Adidas.

12 July 2004

Mühlbauer, The Modern Milliner

A century-old Vienna-based headwear company doesn't particularly have a trendy ring to it, but reserve judgement until you've discovered Mühlbauer. Knobby tweeds, samtvelours, and feather-and-tassel accented caps may be the stereotypical image of Austrian hats - and all of them appear in Mühlbauer collections - but it's brightly coloured felts and rock star fur caps that are putting a modern face on the brand's image and winning it a new following.

Showing at hip tradeshow Premiere Classe, and generally adopting an updated strategy to garner a younger audience, Mühlbauer is clearly responding to the increasingly competitive headwear market that includes many brands without such a rarefied history.

Leading the brand's renewal effort is fourth generation brother-and-sister team Klaus and Marlies Mühlbauer, who together head up design and merchandising. Their A/W '04 eye candy collection of hand-stitched brimless shapes, jazz-inspired felts, nappa leathers, and velvet streetwise caps sells at the label's seven stand-alone stores in Vienna and at international retailers that include Isetan in Tokyo, Le Bon Marche in Paris, and Really Great Things in New York.

2 July 2004

Swarovski Fashion Brand

Crystal and jewellery retailer Swarovski is to introduce its first fashion sub-brand and open more stores. Swarovski's European sales were EUR265 million last year, but should increase by 15 per cent this year on the back of the push, according to vice president of consumer goods for Europe Markus Ludescher.

In the UK, fashion brand Out of Africa will appear in Swarovski wholly-owned shops in August, taking about 25 per cent of space. A themed launch will be introduced every six months from next spring.

The strategy kicks in as Swarovski continues its drive into retail, spearheaded by the UK stores. The brand\s biggest European market is Italy, but Britain is a fast-expanding number two, accounting for sales of GBP 40 millions.

There are 18 wholly-owned Swarovski stores in the UK. Two 'premium independent' stores, run on a partnership basis with local retailers, opened this year at Stratford-upon Avon and Guildford. More wholly-owned shops are planned, but there will be a focus on independent outlets too, with up to 10 more opening in 2005. Swarovski's global sales are more than EUR1 billion, with significant revenue from Asia and the US.

14 June 2004

The fight against counterfeiting

The textile sector has had to cope with counterfeiting for a very long time. Well-known brands remain major victims, and counterfeiting tarnishes their image, compromises their entry to certain growth markets and endangers the prestige and know-how of the company concerned.

Whilst there is much talk about brands, the Textile and Clothing sector is also seriously concerned by the theft of designs (Our companies produce more than 10,000,000 designs per year). These designs which play a significant role in the commercial success or failure of a product, i.e. its added value, are also systematically pilfered by counterfeiters.

As part of its plan to step up the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, the European Textile and Clothing Industry is organising with other European industries an exhibition in the European Parliament on counterfeit and piracy. This event will take place from 26th to 29th January .

In taking this initiative, EURATEX seeks to draw the attention of Members of the European Parliament to the need to make the fight against counterfeiting and piracy a genuine priority policy of the European Union.Counterfeiting and piracy have disastrous consequences not only in the textile and clothing sector, but for the whole of European industry. Data from the European Commission-DG TAXUD demonstrate how far-reaching the counterfeiting phenomenon is, especially in Textiles and Clothing.

Seizures of Textiles and Clothing have doubled since 2001, with accessories (belts, spectacles, bags) accounting for the greatest increase: Out of the total amount of counterfeited and pirated goods seized by customs in 2002, 9.2 million were clothing articles and accessories.

Today European Textile and Clothing companies, mainly SMEs, are no longer in a position to bear the costs to protect their creations when faced by an ever-growing phenomenon which is increasingly modern and diverse.

There must be real political awareness of the gravity of this problem. This week’s high level event provides Europe’s parliamentarians with samples, examples and illustrations of the problem industry faces.

www.euratex.org
january 27, 2004

Kathmandu Plans Ascent On UK Market

Kathmandu, one of the biggest players in the antipodean outdoor market, has opened its first store in the UK on Berners Street, London. The company, which has 32 stores across New Zealand and Australia, has set up a British arm and appointed a retail operations manager to oversee its expansion.

9 February 2004

Brand Licensing Seminar

Everything you ever wanted to know about licensing your brand can now be discovered at the LIMA Introduction to Licensing Seminar, which conveniently takes place the day before Brand Licensing 2003, the LIMA Introduction to Licensing Seminar is designed as the ideal introduction to an area that is increasingly important to both retailers and brand owners.

The course covers everything from terminology to techniques and retailers to royalties. The course is a full-day foundation in the fundamentals of licensing.

The seminar takes place on Monday, October 27. For more information, visit http://www.brandlicensingexpo.com.

Brand Licensing 2003 takes place at Earls Court Two, London from October 28 to 29.

20 October 2003

The Coolest British Brands

What does Tony Blair have in common with a shop selling sexy underwear?
They are both cool, apparently, sharing that indefinable quality that unites Scrabble with VW Beetles and Converse trainers with Wagamama's noodle soup.

A new book, Cool BrandLeaders, attempts to list Britain's coolest brands - and pin down that elusive quality once and for all. As advertising man Robert Campbell puts it in the introduction: "It's instinct, inspiration, fearlessness, not being scared to be different."

This year the panel - which included menswear designer Ozwald Boateng, Mark Rodol of the Ministry of Sound, Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman and Dazed & Confused photographer Rankin - decided the top five coolest brands were Alexander McQueen, Bang & Olufsen, Agent Provocateur, the Tate Gallery and Ducati - the same five as last year, even though the judging panel has changed.

The coolest looks, however, are still those of the mod-squad. Mad For Mod resonated throughout the fall shows and those in the know will be wearing their white groovy boots under their A-line mini's. Add an op-art checkerboard pattern and bright colour palette and you could soon be shortlisted as one of the coolest people in Britain next year.

22 August 2003

When Fashion Becomes Guilty by Association

Criminals have good taste. So says marketing guru Kevin Braddock, who has investigated fashion brands becoming guilty by association. While companies may not care who buys their product - as long as it is bought - marketing managers may be concerned that their brands are spending too much time in bad company.

Burberry's distinctive check has long been a favourite of soccer hooligans such as those photographed invading the pitch after England's defeat of Turkey in the Euro 2004 qualifies. Lawlessness and thuggery contrast starkly with the fashion house's marketing, which is full of fops, polo matches and country houses.

Menswear brands Ben Sherman and Fred Perry have tried to counterbalance criminal association, by distancing themselves from violent skinheads and neo-Nazi bootboys, who's classic wardrobe included their button-down shirts and tennis tops. Internationally thought of as a rightwing brand, Ben Sherman has sought to remove any aggressive overtones from their advertising. Andy Rigg, the label's marketing manager, states: "These days, we don't use white skinheads in advertising. Our brand history is about being British - but new British, reflecting multiculturalism.

The good news is that whims of fashion and youth culture sometimes remove brands' negative associations as quickly as they arrive, although the power of brand-based marketing can be so effective that they can barely be managed. It remains relatively obscure why some subcultures, such as hip hop and garage, seize on particular brands, but companies should become more aware of what happens on street level. When Mercedes logos are available for purchase online for $25, a new marketing strategy may be definitely be in order.

21 July 2003